I have found that there is a definite need for an insulating jacket for open cans of soft drinks, beer, etc; particularly on the beaches, which will protect the contents of the open can from being contaminated by the wind blowing sand or other foreign materials into the opening of the can. Insulating jackets for such cans have been known heretofore, but none provide a means for precluding the type of contamination described above.
One of the difficulties I have found with providing a sufficiently inexpensive insulating jacket is that the jacket, when manufactured of conventional insulating materials, will not adequately support the hinge structure needed for securing a cover member to a cup-like member. If the contents of an open beverage can, such as is described above, are to be adequately protected, some means for covering the opening of the can must be provided. If that means is to be in form of a cover for the jacket, hinge means must be provided so that the cover will not become lost and can be readily and easily opened and securing in closed position. But it is difficult, if not immpossible, to connect conventional hinge means to a jacket and cover securely, without substantially weakening the portions of the jacket and cover to which it is attached. Conventional hinge means soon break free from the insulated material, with an end result that replacement costs are prohibitive.
The closest prior art known to me is U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,511 which shows an insulated jacket for such a can. This patent, however, is not directed toward solving the above problems. Its primary purpose is to maintain the contents of the can in refrigerated condition and to permit the user to drink from the open can without lifting the cover. Thus, the cover member is perforated, having a goodly-sized opening 11 therein, so as to enable the user to drink from the can without lifting the cover. Such a structure, of course, will not preclude the entrance of sand, etc. when the wind blows, and thus is totally inadequate for the purposes and needs outlined herein. It will be noted that it advocates the use of an acetate strip bonded to the cover and cup to function as a hinge member for the cover. Such strips are found to be inadequate, however, in that they soon become detached through use and/or the effect of the wind, from one or both surfaces to which they are adhered. If the jacket were to be made with a cover which must be lifted each time the user desires to partake of the contents of the can, the acetate strip will be short-lived and therefore inadequate.